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When protest is prayer
One sunny afternoon last year, in the middle of the South African summer, I needed to drive into an unfamiliar industrial part of our city, Cape Town, and found myself uncertain of how to find the factory I was looking for. My phone, which had the directions and map on it, was on the seat next to me. Having stopped at a red traffic light, I decided to have a quick look at the directions. The next thing I knew, I felt a slight bump and realized my car had drifted back into the car behind me, as I hadn’t put the brake on properly.
The driver of the car came up to my window. He was really angry. Before I could say anything, he began swearing at me in very strong language with a particular racial bias. Soon it became apparent that he saw me as the enemy and that I might be in some danger. He was going to make me pay for this, and not just with money. To him, I must have represented a people who have caused much of the injustice experienced by people of color in South Africa, particularly in regard to ownership of land, which many considered to have been “stolen by the white people.” Several years ago, there was a lot of tension during a period of protest against the more obvious remnants of the colonial era. This included the Rhodes Must Fall movement protesting institutional racism in education, which led to the removal of a statue (Cecil Rhodes) symbolizing this period of South Africa’s past.
In the face of this fast-deteriorating situation with the driver, I uttered a silent, mental protest against the notion that God’s children could be at odds with one another, a protest based on the understanding that we all have one Father-Mother, God, and are His innocent, loving children. Despite what was going on around me, I knew that my, and his, divine Parent was present and in control, and that He would guide us both safely through this turbulence.
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
August 3, 2020 issue
View Issue-
From the readers
Martine Blackler, Camille Dull, David Fares
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Writing for all of humanity
Larissa Snorek
Articles
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Christly compassion in times of need
John Quincy Adams III
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Safely anchored in God’s care
Adrienne Thomas
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When protest is prayer
Jeremy Campbell
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Grace that sweeps away mental darkness
Name Withheld
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Discover your true heritage
Tori Dell
Teens
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How I prayed when quarantine hit
Devon Swinburne
Testimonies of healing
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Family healed of flu symptoms
Gail Bernard
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Warts healed during class instruction
Julie Littell
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Freed from fear and immobility during hike
Lorilyn Tacio
Poem
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Bundle of life
Donna Hunsberger
Editorial
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The oneness of Mind and our mental health
Deborah Huebsch
- Bible Lens—August 3–9, 2020